Eating Disorders in the News
As I sit on the couch eating my morning bowl of Greek yogurt, oats, Sunbutter, and honey, my ears always perk up whenever I hear the mention of the next eating disorder story coming up on the Today show. Over the last 2 weeks, the news show has featured 2 interesting stories about eating disorders- one concentrating on eating disorders in adulthood and the other about life after an eating disorder.
I find these stories fascinating. First, I’m always happy when eating disorders get some attention from the media. I think it’s so important to talk about this very scary and very stigmatized disease. I also like to hear about the latest research and books about the disorder, which the life after an eating disorder story covers. Although I have not read Gaining: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders yet, it supposedly tells the story of 40 interview subjects who have or have experienced an eating disorder. Aimee Liu, the author, also examines certain personality traits shared by these women.
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Even in my recovery, I find it very beneficial to continue to learn about eating disorders and in particular, anorexia nervosa. While some people find it triggering to read books and stories about the disorder, I find it cathartic. I’m of the belief that the more I learn the more I can stay educated and, consequently, remain healthy.
If you’re in recovery, do you agree or do you try to avoid the subject? If you have not experienced an eating disorder, are you still interested in the subject?
Xo.
I agree with you. I find it especially helpful and healing to continue to learn about anorexia & issues surrounding eating disorders in general. I have read the book Gaining by Aimee Liu, and I highly highly recommend it! I read this book early on in my recovery. It would be interesting to read it again now, 2.5+ years into recovery, to see what new insights it might bring. I just might pull it out of the closet!
I try to strike a balance in my consumption of ED-related news, and find items that are informative but not triggering. As I recover, I find the mindset of an ED to be excruciatingly boring and sad (who wants to obsess over food and body image all day when there’s so much else to think about), but I know that I once held that worldview and that understanding it is critical to helping people with EDs. As a result, I’m much more interested in scientific perspectives on EDs and people’s journeys toward recovery than in reading about people still in the midst of their EDs.
To be honest, I don’t read a whole lot on the subject of E.D.’s because it seems too “close” to what I went through and painful! But it just depends on my mood. In fact, I’m off to read those articles
I do love when E.D.’s are brought up in the news–people don’t seem to often realize how REAL they are.